1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a head-protecting airbag device mountable on an automobile, and more particularly, relates to a head-protecting airbag device whose airbag and roof rail garnish for covering the folded airbag are mounted on vehicle in an integrally assembled state as an airbag module.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional head-protecting airbag device of this kind includes an airbag, a roof rail garnish, and an inflator for supplying inflation gas to the airbag, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2001-334902.
In this airbag device, the airbag is folded and arranged in an upper edge of side windows inside the vehicle, along the front-rear direction. The roof rail garnish has a unitary plate-shape and is located in an area extending in the front-rear direction between a roof head lining and side windows for covering an interior side of the folded airbag. The garnish includes a door portion in its lower part which is pushed by the inflating airbag and open when the airbag deploys to cover interior sides of side windows.
In this airbag, the airbag, the roof rail garnish, and the inflator are mounted on the vehicle in an integrally assembled state as an airbag module.
However, this airbag module is attached to the vehicle by fastening bolts with nuts formed in an inner panel of the vehicle body, from vehicle's interior side of the roof rail garnish. Moreover, the bolts also fasten mounting portions of the airbag together. Accordingly, in such occasions as maintenance or changing the roof rail garnish, it is necessary to detach the whole airbag module from vehicle body, remove the roof rail garnish from the airbag module, and then forming a new airbag module with a new garnish, and then attach it to the vehicle, which complicates maintenance of the roof rail garnish.